Policy Reforms and Financing of Elementary Education in India: A Study of the Quality of Service and Outcome

Even as a case can be made out for public spending on elementary education, its link with enrolment rates does not appear strong. However, once efficiency and demand-side factors are accounted for, public spending is seen to make an impact on the rate of enrolment and quality of education as measured by teacher-pupil ratio. Teacher-pupil ratio and the number of schools, in turn, are seen to have a stronger impact on the rate of enrolment in efficient states. Literacy rates as well as state domestic product were seen to have a positive influence on education. The share of public expenditure on elementary education in GDP peaked in 1990-91 but never achieved the targeted level of 6 per cent of GDP. The reforms brought a break in the growth rate of public expenditure on elementary education, from which not all the states could recover even over an extended period of time.EducationElementary Education

Meta-analysis of grain yield QTL identified during agricultural drought in grasses showed consensus

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In the last few years, efforts have been made to identify large effect QTL for grain yield under drought in rice. However, identification of most precise and consistent QTL across the environments and genetics backgrounds is essential for their successful use in Marker-assisted Selection. In this study, an attempt was made to locate consistent QTL regions associated with yield increase under drought by applying a genome-wide QTL meta-analysis approach.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The integration of 15 maps resulted in a consensus map with 531 markers and a total map length of 1821 cM. Fifty-three yield QTL reported in 15 studies were projected on a consensus map and meta-analysis was performed. Fourteen meta-QTL were obtained on seven chromosomes. MQTL_1.2, MQTL_1.3, MQTL_1.4, and MQTL_12.1were around 700 kb and corresponded to a reasonably small genetic distance of 1.8 to 5 cM and they are suitable for use in marker-assisted selection (MAS). The meta-QTL for grain yield under drought coincided with at least one of the meta-QTL identified for root and leaf morphology traits under drought in earlier reports. Validation of major-effect QTL on a panel of random drought-tolerant lines revealed the presence of at least one major QTL in each line. <it>DTY</it>_{<it>12.1 </it>}was present in 85% of the lines, followed by <it>DTY</it>_{<it>4.1 </it>}in 79% and <it>DTY</it>_{<it>1.1 </it>}in 64% of the lines. Comparative genomics of meta-QTL with other cereals revealed that the homologous regions of MQTL_1.4and MQTL_3.2had QTL for grain yield under drought in maize, wheat, and barley respectively. The genes in the meta-QTL regions were analyzed by a comparative genomics approach and candidate genes were deduced for grain yield under drought. Three groups of genes such as stress-inducible genes, growth and development-related genes, and sugar transport-related genes were found in clusters in most of the meta-QTL.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Meta-QTL with small genetic and physical intervals could be useful in Marker-assisted selection individually and in combinations. Validation and comparative genomics of the major-effect QTL confirmed their consistency within and across the species. The shortlisted candidate genes can be cloned to unravel the molecular mechanism regulating grain yield under drought.</p

Rice Breeding for High Grain Yield under Drought: A Strategic Solution to a Complex Problem

Drought is one of the major abiotic stresses that affect rice production in rainfed areas. Recent trends in climate change have predicted a further increase in drought intensity, making the development of new drought-tolerant rice cultivars critical to sustain rice production in this ecosystem. The use of grain yield as a selection criterion at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), through proper population development and precise phenotyping techniques, has allowed the development of several high-yielding rice cultivars that have been released in major rainfed rice-growing areas. This strategy has also allowed the identification of several major quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that show large effects under drought across environments and genetic backgrounds. These QTLs are being pyramided together to develop drought-tolerant versions of popular drought-susceptible varieties. The near-isogenic lines (NILs) developed can replace the popular, high-yielding but drought-susceptible varieties in rainfed areas prone to drought. Additionally, these NILs serve as suitable genetic material for the study of molecular and physiological mechanisms underlying these QTLs. This may provide a better understanding of plant functions responsible for high grain yield under drought and lead to the identification of new traits and genes

Structural, magneto transport and magnetic properties of Ruddlesden–Popper La2-2xSr1+2xMn2O7 (0.42≤x≤0.52) layered manganites

The magneto transport of Ruddlesden–Popper, La2-2xSr1+2xMn2O7 (0.42≤x≤0.52), 2-dimensional bilayered manganites have been investigated in a broad temperature range. The samples have been synthesized using the solid-state reaction method. Rietveld refinement of the X-ray diffraction data indicates the tetragonal structure formation with I4/mmm space group. The resistivity curves of the samples present a general characteristic of metal-insulator (MI) transition at certain temperature (TMI). Besides, for samples with x = 0.48, 0.50, and 0.52, at a certain temperature (TCO) well below TMI the charge ordering is also evident. Furthermore, the samples display a shallow upturn in resistivity below Tmin due to the Kondo like spin scattering effect, weak localization and electron-phonon interaction. The high temperature semiconducting (T\u3eTMI) region, the resistivity curve follows the 3D Mott’s variable hopping transport mechanism. The overall suppression of resistivity accounts for a substantial magnetoresistance by applying a magnetic field and the characteristic change in TMI, TCO, and Tmin are discussed. Temperature-dependent magnetization demonstrates the suppression of ferromagnetism and evident of antiferromagnetic nature with an apparent charge ordering with increasing concentration of Sr2+

Understanding rice adaptation to varying agro-ecosystems: trait interactions and quantitative trait loci

Background: Interaction and genetic control for traits influencing the adaptation of the rice crop to varying environments was studied in a mapping population derived from parents (Moroberekan and Swarna) contrasting for drought tolerance, yield potential, lodging resistance, and adaptation to dry direct seeding. A BC2F3-derived mapping population for traits related to these four trait groups was phenotyped to understand the interactions among traits and to map and align QTLs using composite interval mapping (CIM). The study also aimed to identify QTLs for the four trait groups as composite traits using multivariate least square interval mapping (MLSIM) to further understand the genetic control of these traits. Results: Significant correlations between drought- and yield-related traits at seedling and reproductive stages respectively with traits for adaptation to dry direct-seeded conditions were observed. CIM and MLSIM methods were applied to identify QTLs for univariate and composite traits. QTL clusters showing alignment of QTLs for several traits within and across trait groups were detected at chromosomes 3, 4, and 7 through CIM. The largest number of QTLs related to traits belonging to all four trait groups were identified on chromosome 3 close to the qDTY3.2 locus. These included QTLs for traits such as bleeding rate, shoot biomass, stem strength, and spikelet fertility. Multivariate QTLs were identified at loci supported by univariate QTLs such as on chromosomes 3 and 4 as well as at distinctly different loci on chromosome 8 which were undetected through CIM. Conclusion: Rice requires better adaptation across a wide range of environments and cultivation practices to adjust to climate change. Understanding the genetics and trade-offs related to each of these environments and cultivation practices thus becomes highly important to develop varieties with stability of yield across them. This study provides a wider picture of the genetics and physiology of adaptation of rice to wide range of environments. With a complete understanding of the processes and relationships between traits and trait groups, marker-assisted breeding can be used more efficiently to develop plant types that can combine all or most of the beneficial traits and show high stability across environments, ecosystems, and cultivation practices

qDTY1.1, a major QTL for rice grain yield under reproductive-stage drought stress with a consistent effect in multiple elite genetic backgrounds

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Drought is one of the most important abiotic stresses causing drastic reductions in yield in rainfed rice environments. The suitability of grain yield (GY) under drought as a selection criterion has been reported in the past few years. Most of the quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for GY under drought in rice reported so far has been in the background of low-yielding susceptible varieties. Such QTLs have not shown a similar effect in multiple high- yielding drought-susceptible varieties, thus limiting their use in marker-assisted selection. Genetic control of GY under reproductive-stage drought stress (RS) in elite genetic backgrounds was studied in three F_3:4mapping populations derived from crosses of N22, a drought-tolerant <it>aus </it>cultivar, with Swarna, IR64, and MTU1010, three high-yielding popular mega-varieties, with the aim to identify QTLs for GY under RS that show a consistent effect in multiple elite genetic backgrounds. Three populations were phenotyped under RS in the dry seasons (DS) of 2009 and 2010 at IRRI. For genotyping, whole-genome scans for N22/MTU1010 and bulked segregant analysis for N22/Swarna and N22/IR64 were employed using SSR markers.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A major QTL for GY under RS, <it>qDTY_1.1</it>, was identified on rice chromosome 1 flanked by RM11943 and RM431 in all three populations. In combined analysis over two years, <it>qDTY</it>_{<it>1.1 </it>}showed an additive effect of 29.3%, 24.3%, and 16.1% of mean yield in N22/Swarna, N22/IR64, and N22/MTU1010, respectively, under RS. <it>qDTY</it>_{<it>1.1 </it>}also showed a positive effect on GY in non-stress (NS) situations in N22/Swarna, N22/IR64 over both years, and N22/MTU1010 in DS2009.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This is the first reported QTL in rice with a major and consistent effect in multiple elite genetic backgrounds under both RS and NS situations. Consistency of the QTL effect across different genetic backgrounds makes it a suitable candidate for use in marker-assisted breeding.</p

Serum Prolidase Activity and Oxidative Stress in Diabetic Nephropathy and End Stage Renal Disease: A Correlative Study with Glucose and Creatinine

Association of oxidative stress and serum prolidase activity (SPA) has been reported in many chronic diseases. The study was aimed at evaluating the correlation of glucose and creatinine to SPA and oxidative stress in patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN) and end stage renal disease (ESRD) concerned with T2DM. 50 healthy volunteers, 50 patients with T2DM, 86 patients with DN, and 43 patients with ESRD were considered as control-1, control-2, case-1, and case-2, respectively. Blood glucose, creatinine, SPA, total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) were measured by colorimetric tests. SPA, TOS, and OSI were significantly increased in case-1 and case-2 than control-1 and control-2, while TAS was significantly decreased (P<0.001). Blood glucose was linearly correlated to SPA, TOS, TAS, and OSI in control-2, case-1 and case-2 (P<0.001). Serum creatinine was linearly correlated with SPA, TOS, TAS and OSI in control-2 and case-1 (P<0.001). In case-2, serum creatinine was significantly correlated with SPA only (P<0.001). Thus, the study concluded that SPA and oxidative stress significantly correlated with blood glucose and creatinine. SPA, TOS, TAS, and OSI can be used as biomarkers for diagnosis of kidney damage

Enteral lactoferrin supplementation for very preterm infants : a randomised placebo-controlled trial

Background: Infections acquired in hospital are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in very preterm infants. Several small trials have suggested that supplementing the enteral diet of very preterm infants with lactoferrin, an antimicrobial protein processed from cow's milk, prevents infections and associated complications. Methods: In this randomised, placebo-controlled trial, very preterm infants (born before 32 weeks' gestation) in 37 UK hospitals were allocated randomly (1:1) within 72 hours after birth to receive enteral bovine lactoferrin (150 mg/kg/day; maximum 300 mg/day) versus sucrose (same dose) once daily until 34 weeks' postmenstrual age. Web-based randomisation minimised for recruitment site, gestation (completed weeks), sex, and single versus multifetal pregnancy. Parents, caregivers and outcomes assessors were unaware of group assignment. The primary outcome was microbiologically-confirmed or clinically-suspected lateonset infection (occurring >72 hours after birth). The trial was registered with the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number 88261002. Findings: We recruited 2203 participants between May 2014 and September 2017. Four infants had consent withdrawn or unconfirmed leaving 1098 infants in the lactoferrin group and 1101 in the sucrose group. Primary outcome data for 2182 infants were available for inclusion in the intention-to-treat analyses. In the intervention group, 316/1093 (28.9%) infants acquired a late-onset infection versus 334/1089 (30.7%) in the control group: risk ratio (RR) adjusted for minimisation factors 0.95 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.86, 1.04). Pre-specified subgroup analyses did not show statistically significant interactions for gestation at birth (completed weeks') or type of enteral milk received (human, formula, or both). Interpretation: Enteral supplementation with bovine lactoferrin does not reduce the incidence of late-onset infection in very preterm infants. Funding: UK National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme (10/57/49)

Enteral lactoferrin supplementation for very preterm infants : a randomised placebo-controlled trial

Background: Infections acquired in hospital are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in very preterm infants. Several small trials have suggested that supplementing the enteral diet of very preterm infants with lactoferrin, an antimicrobial protein processed from cow's milk, prevents infections and associated complications. Methods: In this randomised, placebo-controlled trial, very preterm infants (born before 32 weeks' gestation) in 37 UK hospitals were allocated randomly (1:1) within 72 hours after birth to receive enteral bovine lactoferrin (150 mg/kg/day; maximum 300 mg/day) versus sucrose (same dose) once daily until 34 weeks' postmenstrual age. Web-based randomisation minimised for recruitment site, gestation (completed weeks), sex, and single versus multifetal pregnancy. Parents, caregivers and outcomes assessors were unaware of group assignment. The primary outcome was microbiologically-confirmed or clinically-suspected lateonset infection (occurring >72 hours after birth). The trial was registered with the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number 88261002. Findings: We recruited 2203 participants between May 2014 and September 2017. Four infants had consent withdrawn or unconfirmed leaving 1098 infants in the lactoferrin group and 1101 in the sucrose group. Primary outcome data for 2182 infants were available for inclusion in the intention-to-treat analyses. In the intervention group, 316/1093 (28.9%) infants acquired a late-onset infection versus 334/1089 (30.7%) in the control group: risk ratio (RR) adjusted for minimisation factors 0.95 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.86, 1.04). Pre-specified subgroup analyses did not show statistically significant interactions for gestation at birth (completed weeks') or type of enteral milk received (human, formula, or both). Interpretation: Enteral supplementation with bovine lactoferrin does not reduce the incidence of late-onset infection in very preterm infants. Funding: UK National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme (10/57/49)